The figure passed the two million mark for the first time last month.

Dublin Airport had a record month for passenger numbers in February, official statistics have revealed.

The Dublin Airport Authority confirmed the figure surpassed the two million mark for the first time in its 79-year history last month.

The confirmation coincides with the release of new figures from the Central Statistics Office, which showed a 6% increase in the spend by overseas visitors to Ireland last year.

February is traditionally the quietest month of the year for air travel but significant increases in people taking trips between Ireland and Europe contributed to a 9% rise in passenger numbers compared to the same period last year.

Passenger numbers to and from continental Europe increased by 12%, while UK traffic rose 4% when compared to last year as almost 765,000 passengers travelled to and from Britain.

Passenger volumes to and from North America increased by 15%, with more than 175,000 passengers travelling on this route.

Other international traffic, principally on routes to and from the Middle East, North Africa and Pacific Asia regions, increased by 2%.

Almost 7,000 passengers travelled on domestic routes last month, which was a 16% decrease when compared to February 2018.

In total, almost 4.1 million passengers have used Dublin Airport since the start of the year, representing a 7% increase on the same period last year.

The number of passengers using Dublin Airport as a hub to connect to another destination increased by 18% in the first two months of the year.

More than 183,000 passengers connected through the airport in January and February.